On Monday, the New York Post doggedly stuck to its claim that 12 were killed in the Boston Marathon bombings. On Tuesday, CNN (among others) reported that a suspect had been arrested, before walking that all the way back. Today, the Post wrests back the "what the **** are you doing?" crown by putting two "potential suspects" on the cover of the newspaper. They are most assuredly innocent.

The pair show up in multiple photos of the finish line. They carry large bags. They are dark-skinned. This was enough for internet sleuths to peg them as suspicious. (They show up here, in Gawker's rundown of "suspects" identified by crowdsourcing on Reddit and 4chan.) And that was apparently enough for the Post to run with its front-page story today, claiming investigators are circulating photos of the two. (The photo on the paper's cover is a cropped and zoomed-in version of the one taken by Ben Levine, which appeared on Deadspin on Tuesday.)

But maybe there was a reason for them to be at the marathon, wearing track jackets and carrying bags: they're runners.

The kid in the blue jacket is a middle-distance runner at Revere High School. Last week he ran the two-mile in 11:20. Here he is, training either for global jihad or a track meet:

Yesterday he caught wind that his name and social media profiles were being circulated online, and he did what any teenager would do: He panicked. He made his Facebook timeline private, and in one message now no longer visible, he announced he was going to clear his name.

Going to the court rightnow!! **** is real. But u will see guys I'm did not do anything

(We're not naming the guy or linking to his Facebook page, a pointless courtesy, but we figured we should extend it in this instance.)

Witch hunts end as quickly as they begin. Today on CBS This Morning, John Miller specifically said these two are not the suspects the FBI is seeking. This Boston Globe story sheds more light on the images authorities are using to track down the suspects, and their description makes clear it's not a high schooler and his friend:

The official said that the two suspects were seen separately on videotape — one at each of the two bombing sites, which are located about a block apart.

There's also the matter that his bag isn't even the same color as the one recovered from the scene.

Reddit is panicking too. In the "FindBostonBombers" subreddit, the top post tells users to stop spreading the images of these two, and urges people to delete anything already posted that identifies them.

(The second-top post reads, "Media outlets, please stop making the images of potential suspects go viral, then blaming this small subreddit for it.")

But that's the internet, with some degree of anonymity and expectation for inaccuracy. How will the Post explain away its front cover ("Bag Men"), and the top story still there on the website ("Men in Sights")? Presumably authorities distributed many photos of people with large backpacks and duffel bags. How did these two end up with their brown faces splashed all over the world? Do we even need to ask?

As much as I agree with the witch hunt, web sleuth stuff being stupid, I think it's pretty clear the guy on the left is pretty white.

And white guys have NEVER done anything bad throughout the history of white men..? This comes off extremely bigoted.

And it shouldn't be a witch hunt, this should be an investigation. With due process. I realize we should get the person/people responsible, but not at the cost of other innocent people's time, our investigator's time and resources. The fact that people are even ok with the idea of a witch hunt without due process shows just how broken the system we live in is.

I seriously hate the NY Post. They are a complete joke of a newspaper and need to be sued and shut down. This isn't the first time they've done something like this. They used to spew such hate in some of their articles it amazes me how they are still in business.

They seriously need to get shut down. They are a complete joke of a newspaper and should not be treated as such.

And white guys have NEVER done anything bad throughout the history of white men..? This comes off extremely bigoted.

And it shouldn't be a witch hunt, this should be an investigation. With due process. I realize we should get the person/people responsible, but not at the cost of other innocent people's time, our investigator's time and resources. The fact that people are even ok with the idea of a witch hunt without due process shows just how broken the system we live in is.

lol wut?

I was just pointing out that Deadspin's assertion that they were targeted b/c they were both brown skinned is wrong. One guy looks pretty lily white to me and was targeted anyway.

Maybe people aren't quite so bigoted? That wouldn't make for good "journalism" though.

I seriously hate the NY Post. They are a complete joke of a newspaper and need to be sued and shut down. This isn't the first time they've done something like this. They used to spew such hate in some of their articles it amazes me how they are still in business.

They seriously need to get shut down. They are a complete joke of a newspaper and should not be treated as such.

How does it amaze you they are still in business? In an industry ruled by sensationalism and placing emotion over truth, the New York Post is at the forefront, like the Fox News of newspapers they rile people and that's what the people want.

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BK

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Originally Posted by AcheTen

JPP is a better and more productive player than Brandon Graham

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Originally Posted by abaddon41_80

Is Shaun Hill a top 10 QB? Definitely not. Is he a top 20 one? Almost certainly.

And EAW is cool. The mis-read isn't a big deal and I could have been clearer.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I've seen a lot of racist people writing ignorant things, and the way I read that in my head made it seem like another one of those. I know most of the people on here don't fall in line with that type of thinking which is why I try to refrain from saying "you're being a bigot/racist/etc" and stick with "you sound like..." I've had a few of those myself, where I write something that could be interpreted differently than how I intend. The one problem with the internet is that they haven't found a way to communicate tone.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I've seen a lot of racist people writing ignorant things, and the way I read that in my head made it seem like another one of those. I know most of the people on here don't fall in line with that type of thinking which is why I try to refrain from saying "you're being a bigot/racist/etc" and stick with "you sound like..." I've had a few of those myself, where I write something that could be interpreted differently than how I intend. The one problem with the internet is that they haven't found a way to communicate tone.

1. I wonder if the guy who sent all those packages to the politicians is a Breaking Bad fan. The only time I've ever heard of ricin is from the show. Is that where he got the idea?

2. The guy in the blue kind of looks like Collin Kaepernick from the side.

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Originally Posted by SolidGold

Bortlezzzzzzz

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Originally Posted by Monomach

Brilliant letting one of Scott Pioli's henchmen have his own team to ruin. One of the premier GM jobs in the NFL and it gets handed to a stupid **** who makes three facepalm moves for every good one. Awesome. Just like handing a new Mercedes to a 16 year old girl who's already been in three wrecks.

Also evidence of them dropping their backpacks and leaving them according to the FBI. I would think if the FBI officially released this package of photos and videos they are very very sure these are the two.

Also evidence of them dropping their backpacks and leaving them according to the FBI. I would think if the FBI officially released this package of photos and videos they are very very sure these are the two.

Which is why I ask... Why not show a picture of them without the packs since they have evidence proving they dropped their packs?

They have video footage of these two walking all over the route, yet no pics or vids of them without the packs to calm my skepticism?

None of these pictures or videos even show these two at either blast site. At least the pics of the "Navy Seals" shows them standing at ground-zero with their packs.